Serena Williams hopes to become the second player in history to win 100 singles matches at the US Open when she plays Qiang Wang in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday night. As fate would have it, Williams is attempting to do this on the 30th anniversary of win number 101 for the only person ahead of her in the record books: Chris Evert.
On September 3, 1989, Evert, then 34, defeated then-15-year-old Monica Seles, 6-0, 6-2, to advance to the quarterfinals at the US Open. That win came two days after she defeated Patricia Tarabini to become the first player, man or woman, to record 100 match victories at the Open. Two days after her win against Seles, she lost to Zina Garrison in a quarterfinal match.
Evert had announced before the fortnight began that it would be the last major of her Hall of Fame career, and for 30 years she has stood alone as the only player to reach the century mark at the Open. She also owns six US Open titles—a record she shares with Williams.
So if Williams wins out this week, she will surpass Evert's win total and break the tie for most championships.
However, there is one record Evert cemented on this day 30 years ago that may never be duplicated—at the Open or any other major. Evert reached the quarterfinals in 19 consecutive US Opens. She reached the semifinals in 1971, her first Open (losing to eventual champ Billie Jean King), and never failed to reach the quarters.
For the record, Williams has reached the quarterfinals 15 times, but not in a row.
